Flexible closure



Jan. 24, 1928. 1,657,385

} J. B. FREYSINGER FLEXIBLE CLOSURE Filed June 24. 1926 [3% M ATTO NEY Patented Jan. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES JOHN B. rnnysmenn, or NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

FLEXIBLE CLOSURE.

Application filed-June 24, 1926. SerialNo. 118,314.

This invention relates to flexible closures of the type having a pair of stringers or tapes provided on their opposed edges with clasps or looking members which are adapted to be successively brought into interlocking relation when a slide'is moved longitudinally of the tapes in one direction and which are disengaged when the slide is moved in the opposite direction.

-Th-e objectof the invention is to provide a closure of this sort having various 'features of novelty and advantage, and which is particularly characterized by its economy in manufacture and effectiveness in operation.

A further object of the ,invention is to provide a flexible closure of this sort having interlocking members which may be economically tively strong and durable so that they are enabledto stand the strains and stresses to which they are subjected, which effectively interlock with one another, and which will move through the slide with a very smooth and easy movement, stickingand jamming being avoided.

A further object of the invention is to provide animproved bottom stop for the slide, this bottom stop being of such construction that it may be cheaply made and easily applied.

Another aim of the invention is to provide top stops of improved construction for etfectively limiting the closing movement of the-slide. v v

Other objects will be in partfobvious .and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter. 5

The invention accordingly consists in the -features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement' of parts which willbe' exemplified in theconstruction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the ap 'pl'ication of which will be indicated in the appended claims; Y

Y Ink-the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown, for illustrative purposes, one embodiment which the present. invention may take:

r Figure 1 is an elevational view showing .the complete assembly; 1

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2- 2 and lookingin the direction of the arxrows associated with that line;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the nlookingfmembers.;- g, I

manufactured, which are rela-.

-Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a locking member in inverted position;

Fig. 5 1s adevelopment of a pierced blank from whlch the locking member may be formed;

Fig. 6 isa perspective view of one of the 1 top stops;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the parts of the bottom stop;

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the other part of the bottom stop; and

Fig. 9 is a top or edge view-of the assembled bottom stop, the flexible stringers or tapes being shown in transverse section.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a and b denote the respective stringers or tapes; 0, c designate the locking members of the series secured to the tape a; and d, d designate the locking members of the series secured to the edge of the stringer b. e is a slide for engaging and disengaging the locking members. This slide may be of any suitable construction. a y, tion of which will be described hereinafter more 1n detail. g, g designate the top stops which will be tail.

In the present, illustrative disclosure of v f designates, gener- I the bottom stop, the detailed construc- I described later in greater de-' othe invention, the locking members of both series" are preferably of identical construction so as to effect economy in manufacture, and eachlocking member is adapted to be interlocked with a superimposed locking member and the subjacent locking member each of I these 1s preferably composed of a. strip of Y looking member having, adjacent one end,

means for securing the same to the tape or stringer and, adjacent its'other or, free end, a ro eot1 ng lug or finger, an opening adapte to receive one of these lugs or fingers, and a cam surface whereby the members may ride into proper interlocking relation to each other as they pass through the slide. In the present illustrative disclosure, the folded over end of the locking member is attached to the tape or fabric but obviously, the construction may be such that the folded over end may" constitute the free end of the locking member. Each of the lock- -ing members may be formed by stamping out a pierced blank, such as shown in Fig.-

opening 11 is curved or bent downwardly so as to provide a camming surface 16.

To secure the locking members in place, the beads of the stringers are inserted through the openings 13, and then the metal to each side of these openings is forced together. In operation,the lug or finger 10 of each lockin member is adapted to engage in the opening or pocket 11 of the next subjacent lockingmember. When the locking members are moved into and out of locking relation as they pass through the slide, the ends of the lugs are adapted to ride on the eamming surfaces 16, as shown most clearly inFig. 1. It will be noted that the rear or attached ends of the locking members are curved in the plane of the slide so that, as

the locking members pass through the slide, there is no danger of them catching or dragging to too great an extent against the outer edges of the-passages in the slide. The locking members may be very economically manufactured while, at the same time, they can be uniformly made and they are relatively strong and durable.

In accordance with the resent invention, the bottom stop f for limiting the opening movement of the slide e'comprises two members, one of which may be in the form of an apertured plate 25, as shown in Fig. 8. The other part of this stop may .be in the form of a plate or flange 26 having a tubular portion 27. The ends of the plates 25 and 26 are curved or bent, as clearly shown in Fig. 9. The member having the flange 26 and the tubular portion 27 may be readily, rapidly and cheaply made of sheet metal on the well known and so-called eyelet machine. To assemble the parts, the plates 25 and 26 are positioned so that the beads of the flexible stringers engage between the opposite ends of these plates with the tubular portion extending through the aperturein the plate 25. The end of the tubular portion is then spun or curled over as at 27 so as to securely clamp the two parts to the beaded edges of the tapes or stringers.

Referring now to the top stops, each of these. may comprise a strip stamped from sheet metal'and folded over upon itself, as shown most clearly in Fig. 6. The blank is pierced with openings 30 and a connecting slot 31 in the same manner as is the blank for forming the locking members. When the blank is folded over on itself, the openings 30 are in register-y and adapted to receive the head of the stringer. The rear or attached end of the stop 9 is curved, thus providing a rounded cam surface 32 and, if desired, the forward or free end of the stop may be curved or rounded as at 33. Obviously, the flexible closure may have either one or two of these stops, as desired. The slide, as shown in F ig. 1, has a flaring mouth or entrance at the top of the passages therethrough. In the present instance, the upper end of the passage, into which the locking members pass when the slide is moved upwardly, has its outer edge wall inclined as at 34 so as to form a cam surface against which the cam surface 32 of the stop is adapted to engage when the slide is moved to its uppermost position. Thus, when the slide is moved to the limit of its closing movement, the cam surface 32 will engage the cam surface 34 and result in wedging the stop in the mouth or entrance of the passage through the slide.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

,It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to coverall of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the in vention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. A locking member for a flexible closure of the character described comprising a strip of material folded over upon itself and with the plies in contact, said member having at one end means for securing the same to a flexible tape and at its other end a depending lug adapted to engage in a pocket in a subjacent locking member and also having a pocket adapted to receive a lug on a superimposed locking member.

2. A locking member for a flexible closure of the character described comprising a strip of material folded over upon itself and with the plies in contact, said member having adjacent one end a pair of registering openings adapted to receive the head of a tape and'a slot leading from said openings to the end of said locking member, said locking member having adjacent its other end an opening in one thickness of the member and also having adjacent this latter end a depending integral lug.

3. A locking member for a flexible closure of the characterdescribed comprising a strip Hill aid member having an opening adjacent its alter end and the under ply having a deending lug, the overhanging end of the lpper ply being curved downwardly to proide a camming surface. I

4. A locking member for a flexible closure f the character described comprising a strip f material folded over upon itself and vith the plies in contact, said member havng at its folded over end means for securing be same to a (tape, one ply of said member =xtending beyond the other ply and being urned down over the end edge of the shorter )ly, the end edge of the shorter ply having t depending lug and the upper ply having LII opening.

5. A flexible closure of the characterdecribed having a pair of flexible stringers LIld. a series of locking members on each :tringer, said locking members being staggeredly arranged and each comprising a :trip of material folded over upon itself and vith the plies in contact, the folded over :nd of, each locking member having means for securing the same to a stringer and each ocking member having at its opposite end a lepending lug and a pocket.

6. A flexible closure of the'character de- ;cribed having a pair of flexible stringers, aeries of locking members carried by said ;tringers, a slide movable alon said stringars to effect engagement and disengagement )f said locking members, and a top stop to Limit the closing movement of said slide, said top stop comprising a strip of sheet metal folded over upon itself, said stop having at its folded over end an opening adapted to receive the head of 'a'stringer.

7. A flexible closure of the character described having at the upper end and on the outer edge of the passage through which the locking mem bers are adapted to pass when the slide is moved, said camming surface being adapted to be engaged with the folded end of said stop to limit the closing movement of said slide a pair of flexible stringers, series of 'locklng members carried by said 8. A flexible closure of the character described having a pair of flexible stringers, series of locking members carried by said stringers, a slide movable along the string- 7 to grip the beads of thestringers therebetween.

' JOHN B. FREYSINGER. 

